It appears those born before 1982 get a pass in Pa., Md....maybe others...
hit nail on head....
They should stop calling it common sense, if it was common everyone would have it
In Maryland it’s July 1, 1972
Unless you are older than a certain age. I do believe that with the number of boats out there today, some sort of testing/ licensing should be created. I see way to many mistakes, close calls, required tows, and well...someone is gonna get hurt bad !!
I believe Ohio is somewhere in those years. Just three winters back I wanted my grandkids to get there operators permits for boating. I went along andvtook the class with them even though my 70 yr age didn't require it. Actually learned some things in that class and I have owned a boat for more than 60 years. Also taught the instructor a thing or two...they were very pleasant about that actually !!!
The reason states did it that way was at the time of enactment Pennsylvania had about 250,000 registered boats then and estimated it would require the requirement for a boat safety certificate could possibly affect 300 to 400 thousand boaters. The shear logistics of getting it all done in one year would not be possible and completly overwhelm the system in terms of both manpower and cost. After discussion with the Maryland people and other states it was decided to be the best solution. The exception was made to make it mandatory for PWCs where all operators would need the certificate since at that time they were only a small percentage of registered craft but accounted for almost 50% of the fatalities the year before enactment.
You aren't allowed to drive a boat without a license though and you can buy a car privately where they don't check your license. Poor decisions by others are not the responsibility of a dealer.
You can indeed drive the boat without a License, just not Legally. In the 20+ yrs that Licenses have been required in Canada, I have never been asked to produce it.
I did say allowed not able so yeah you are able to without a license but not legally. I have been boating 13 years and only been asked to produce my license once and that was when I was at a boat ramp on Canada Day weekend along the Rideau River at one of the most popular ramps. I have though been on others boats when they got stopped and coast guard checked the boat and paperwork. I think it depends where you boat though and what you are driving/doing.
Ah yeah Alberta is a different beast lol wish you guys had more open water since I would move there. Looked at buying a house out there as a winter house to allow me easy access to the mountains and hunting but the drive back and forth didn't seem fun to do often
Capitalist Gouging is why, the Industry will try to deflect why to anything and everything, including a Butterfly in Brazil, but in the end it is just Gouging. Insurance is much cheaper and better in Provinces where Private Company Insurance is not Allowed, but I live in a Province where the current Government removed any Oversite of Private Insurers and some people have experienced increases of 200 -300% on already ridiculous Rates.
